The air grew heavier as the Crimson Horn Marauder descended the stone steps, his every step making the ground tremble. The massive glaive in his hands shimmered with killing intent, and his eyes glowed faintly beneath his horned helm. Around them, the fortress courtyard was littered with fallen bandits and frost-covered corpses. Only the crackling of distant flames broke the silence.
Seol-Yeong's grip on his sword tightened. Beside him, Yoon-Hee's pale blue aura flickered like a cold flame, and Hyeon cracked his knuckles, the golden energy of the Celestial Tyrant Edict swirling around him.
The Marauder stopped a few paces away, his gaze sweeping across them with disdain.
"Three children think they can claim my head?" he sneered. "I'll mount your skulls on my wall."
Seol-Yeong didn't waste words. He vanished.
In an instant, his blade was already striking — but the Marauder reacted with terrifying speed. The glaive swung in a wide arc, meeting Seol-Yeong's sword with a deafening clang. The force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, and Seol-Yeong flipped backward, landing lightly on his feet.
"Fast," the Marauder admitted. "But not fast enough."
He charged.
The glaive descended like a falling star — and Seol-Yeong twisted aside at the last moment. The weapon crashed into the ground, splitting the earth, but before the Marauder could recover, Yoon-Hee was there.
"Lotus Blooming in Winter."
Her sword danced, and a wave of ice surged forward, jagged spikes rushing toward the Marauder's legs. He leaped back, but a sharp crack filled the air as frost spread along the ground, chasing him.
"Enough!" he roared, slamming the butt of his glaive into the earth. A burst of crimson energy exploded outward, shattering the ice and sending Yoon-Hee skidding back.
But Hyeon was already moving.
"Heaven-Splitting Fist!"
The punch connected with the Marauder's side with the force of a thunderclap. The armored warrior staggered, but his retaliation was immediate — the glaive swept toward Hyeon's head.
Hyeon grinned.
"Titan's Step!"
He stomped the ground, and a wave of force knocked the glaive off course. The two exchanged blows with earth-shaking intensity — fists against steel, power against power. But even with the Celestial Tyrant Edict roaring in his veins, Hyeon was slowly being pushed back.
"We end this now," Seol-Yeong said.
Yoon-Hee nodded, her eyes glowing with cold determination.
"Azure Lotus: Final Bloom."
The air grew frigid as a field of crystalline lotus petals formed around her, shimmering with lethal beauty. At the same time, Seol-Yeong's aura darkened — his sword humming with suppressed power.
"Dragonfang Descent."
The two struck as one.
The Marauder raised his glaive in desperation, but he was too slow. Ice and steel converged on him — and the battlefield erupted in light.
When the dust settled, the Marauder lay motionless, his armor shattered, his glaive broken.
Seol-Yeong stood over him, his blade dripping with blood.
"It's over," he said.
But deep inside, he knew this was only the beginning.
—
Later, at Greywater Outpost
The reward was more than they had hoped — gold enough to buy their families comfort, and more importantly, the Heaven-Class Martial Manual they'd been promised.
But when Seol-Yeong opened the scroll, his breath caught.
"Primordial Ascent Manual — Incomplete Version."
His heart pounded. He didn't know why, but something told him this was the key to his true power — and the beginning of a far greater journey.
"Looks like our legend is just getting started," Hyeon said, grinning.
And none of them could argue with that.
—